Beyond the Old Ones

Disclaimer: I own nothing, this is purely a fanfic for enjoyment.

Cross-over from various games, books, anime, manga, and movies.

The familiar characters you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.

"Speech"

Time*

Chapter 24: Deadass Confused

I sidestep, driving my left elbow into Grelle's throat with brutal precision, making her stagger backward, wheezing and hacking in a fit of rough, labored breaths. The blow effectively stops her from following up with any attack.

With or without her chainsaw, I know better than to underestimate her; even unarmed, she's lethal enough to kill with just her hands.

My fingers slip into my right pocket, quickly finding the Slumber Charm. With a focused breath, I recite the incantation I'd embedded within it, "Darkness!" The moment the word leaves my lips, the charm grows cold against my skin, an icy chill as if it were forged from snow itself. I channel my Spirituality into it, feeling the energy hum through the charm before I hurl it directly at Grelle. The charm spins through the air, dark flames igniting around it, casting swirling waves as it spreads toward the grim reaper and everyone in the area.

As the charm leaves my hand, a potent wave of drowsiness hits me, a relentless pull toward sleep. I resist it, quickly switching to the Card of Darkness, feeling its stabilizing influence dull the effects. Then, just as swiftly, I switch back to the Card of Twilight Giant, grounding my focus once more.

I watch as Grelle collapses, wholly enveloped in slumber. I remain vigilant, my gaze locked on her while tuning my ears to the surroundings. Behind me, I pick up on two distinct patterns of soft snoring, confirming that two others have also succumbed to the charm's influence. Sebastian's gaze, however, remains fixed on me, steady and unaffected.

"Very interesting..." I hear Sebastian mutter, his voice barely rising above a whisper.

I'll ignore Sebastian for now, leaving him on the back burner until I've finished activating all 22 Pathways to see if there are any major changes or at least advanced to a higher Sequence.

"Now that's over with. What now?" I ask Sebastian, after checking Grelle is fully unconscious.

"How about I drain them of their blood and soul?" Alucard's cold, smooth voice cuts in as she materializes beside me. I turn and see that she's dragging someone by their hair.

It's a tall man with short, dark-brown hair, his face smeared in blood. He's clad in a dark suit with a tie, black gloves, and dress shoes. William T. Spears—another grim reaper.

I switch to the Card of Paragon for a quick boost to my memory. Right, William's presence makes sense; he's technically here to save Grelle, though "save" might be too generous a word. His usual style is to intervene just enough to prevent Grelle's outright death despite her putting herself in jeopardy with that lethal chainsaw—her Death Scythe, one of the few weapons capable of killing a grim reaper. Yet, in typical fashion, William ends up harming her more, dragging her off by the hair and grumbling about the shortage of staff.

"I thought you didn't drink the blood of others anymore, let alone their souls?" I ask Alucard, knowing she's unlikely to take 'no' for an answer without a good reason.

Alucard hums, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Mildly interesting. I found this one lurking on a rooftop, spying on everyone," she says, glancing at William. "His scent was peculiar, so I confronted him, and let's just say he didn't go down quietly. He's not human, that's for certain. The same goes for the redhead you put to sleep over there. But you're right; I'd rather not risk it. Who knows what their souls might do to me." With that, she tosses William onto Grelle, his body sprawling on top of her.

"Well then..." I trail off, shifting my gaze to Sebastian, who is attempting to wake Ciel up by casually slapping him across the face, completely unbothered by the fact that his young master is out cold and could have used a gentler method to wake him up. "So, what brings you here, Alucard? I thought you'd continue with your little walk a bit longer until I called you—or until boredom got the better of you."

I glance at Alucard, tuning out the muffled cries of pain from Ciel as Sebastian slaps him awake.

Alucard raises a single brow; her gaze is unwavering and as dispassionate as ever, fixed on me. "I came to check on you; what else did you expect?" She lets the silence stretch just a beat too long, her crimson eyes betraying a hint of boredom. "And your little fight—a spectacle, to say the least. I watched every second. Each one of those strikes would've rendered an ordinary mortal into a mere husk. Yet here, these two remain, annoyingly intact. Quite stubbornly durable, wouldn't you say?"

I nod slowly. "Yup." Then, as I mull it over, something clicks. "Wait… check up on me?"

Alucard's lips curl into a sharp, mocking grin. "Naturally. I had to ensure you're still among the living. I simply cannot have you dying on me—no, no. You're the only one in this bleak little world capable of providing even a semblance of amusement." Her words hang in the air, her eyes glinting with a twisted satisfaction.

"I see..." I mutter, glancing away thoughtfully, sifting through my memories to recall if Sebastian had ever resorted to slapping Ciel like this.

No trace of it surfaces—not in any of my memories, at least. I could always consult Computational Divination if I were that curious, but what I do remember is Sebastian once allowing someone else to slap Ciel.

"Anyway." I say, turning back to the situation at hand. "Time to do something with these two." I focus on Grelle and William, both unconscious and badly injured.

Alucard's smirk deepens, her eyes glinting with a dark, almost eager curiosity. "Kill them?" She practically purrs, savoring the notion. "The potential aftermath of their demise… I find myself rather intrigued by it." She pauses, letting the twisted anticipation settle, a cruel amusement lighting her gaze. "Wouldn't it be fascinating to see what ripples through this world if they were to simply… cease?"

I raise an eyebrow, meeting her gaze, before strolling over to the chainsaw Sebastian had carelessly tossed aside. I grip the handle, feeling the weight of it. At a glance, it might seem like an ordinary chainsaw, but I know better. This is a Death Scythe—far from anything mundane.

Alucard's smirk widens as she watches me with an amused glint. "Oh? Planning to use that to end their miserable lives? It'll be a mess, you know. Quite bloody, in fact. And you'll ruin that outfit of yours in the process." Her eyes narrow as if reveling in a private joke. "Bloodstains are an annoyance to remove. Unless, of course, you happen to possess the power to manipulate blood itself. But then again, not everyone is so fortunate."

"Nope." I reply, my tone thoughtful as I turn the chainsaw over in my hands, examining its intricate yet morbid design. "I'm claiming this as mine. I'd like to see if I can… make some improvements."

Her gaze lingers on me, curiosity mingled with faint surprise, as I size up the weapon with a sense of purpose. Ordinary as it appears on the outside, this is a Death Scythe, a weapon of profound power—and with the right touch, perhaps even more could be drawn out from it.

Or I could modify this to become a flaming chainsaw. That would terrify just about anyone who lays eyes on it.

Sebastian, observing, smiles and addresses me. "I'll handle these two, for now, Chikao. Would you mind escorting Madam Angelina back to the Phantomhive Manor? Young master Ciel wishes to have a word with them—particularly the red-haired one."

Still rubbing his reddened cheeks, Ciel nods in agreement, his eyes lingering briefly on the unconscious reapers.

With a casual shrug, I pass the chainsaw to Alucard, who accepts it with a bemused expression. Then I stride over to where Angelina lies and lift her carefully into a bridal carry. As I start back toward the manor, Alucard follows, her gaze lingering on the chainsaw with a spark of intrigue.

A few hours later*

I quickly realize my mistake in handing the chainsaw to Alucard. She vanished without a word, taking it along with her, eliminating any chance I had to make modifications or test its power myself. Now, there's an immortal, godlike vampire out there armed with a Death Scythe chainsaw. I can't help but pity anyone unfortunate enough to cross her path.

Setting that aside, I leave Angelina in the capable hands of the manor's servants, trusting them to tend to her recovery. Now that my time is once again my own, I draw forth the Card of Blasphemy. All 22 Pathway cards appear, hovering around me in a slow, deliberate orbit. As I focus, the Card of Moon shifts forward, coming to a halt directly before me.

[Moon Pathway - Sequence 9: Apothecary]

[Randomized Acting Method: 3x Boost]

[Input Acting Method (1 Word): Normal]

[Equip Items: Empty]

[Acting Progress: 0%]

[Adventuring (1): Not Used]

[List of Items: (Expand)]

Intilizating... Idle S9Apothecary begins its journey.

Skip Function Active.

Finalizing... Idle S9Apothecary survived for a month.

Idle S9Apothecary brought back the Sefirot: Nation of Disorder.

Acting Progress...30% 3x Boost in effect... 90%

Unlocking Beyonder's Abilities of the Moon Pathway's Sequence 9: Apothecary.

1. Medicine Concoction: They excel at creating and mixing liquids and herbs. With these skills in creating various different medicinal potions, they can easily treat most illnesses and injuries.

First Additional Note: Despite their abilities, Apothecaries do not have actual ways to treat terminal illnesses.

Side Note: For those in the late stage of a terminal illness, they can only try to alleviate symptoms or slow down the progression.

Second Additional Note: These are just a few examples of potions and concoctions Apothecaries can make:

Example 1. A potion that can enhances one's strength, speed, and agility for a short amount of time.

Example 2. A potion that would invoke the libido one has experienced during their teenage years.

Example 3. A potion that effectively stop bleeding and stimulate the healing of wounds.

2. Physical Enhancement: Apothecaries don't gain massive physical improvements, but they are relatively resistant to poisonous elements and toxins.

3. Spirituality: Their Spirituality gets enhanced as a Beyonder.

Additional Note: Spirit Vision: It shows Apothecaries a person's overall health and well being.

I stare at the Card of Moon, and then the realization hits like a punch to the gut.

Ah, fuck me sideways. Another Sefirot?! That's three now—I'm literally a third of the way to owning nearly all of them!

But as I replay my recent choices—preventing Angelina's death, practically pushing two grim reapers to their graves, and unwittingly handing over a Death Scythe chainsaw to Alucard. I suppose it's no wonder I've ended up with the Nation of Disorder. Yet, even with this new acquisition, it's frustrating; just like the City of Calamity, I still have no idea what this one is capable of.

Then it hits me again, and I can't help but feel a rising exasperation. What in the world did IdleS9Apothecary do to acquire this? Did the idiot go on a month-long potion-brewing binge, flooding everyone with libido-boosting potions or something? It took S9Apprentice 39 years, but Apothecary gets it in a month? What on earth happened?!

I feel lightheaded...

Author Note: What the fuck...